News Briefs (Sept. 28, 2014)Deadline to register to vote Oct. 6 The deadline to register to vote in the 2014 general election is Monday, Oct. 6. Those interested in registering may visit the Pope County Clerk’s Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to register. For more information including voter registration or voting precinct, call (479) 968-6064. Taste Along the River and Barbecue Cook Off The Taste Along the River and Barbecue Cook Off sponsored by t...

Commission approves rezoning, code revisionsThe Russellville Planning Commission approved recommending a property rezoning, a preliminary plat and zoning code revisions during its regular meeting last week at Russellville City Hall. Commissioners voted to recommend to the Russellville City Council rezoning property at 201 S. Knoxville Avenue from heavy industrial to highway commercial. The request was submitted by property owner Sandra Jones who told the commission "everyone in the area...

AHTD extends lane closuresImprovements to State Highway 7 will extend overnight lane closures in Russellville and cause lane closures in Dover, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) said in a news release. In Russellville, the resurfacing of 4.2 miles extending to the north from D & R Railroad Spur — which is just south of the intersection of Lock and Dam Road and South Arkansas Avenue — to near G Street, which was scheduled to be completed th...

Corps dropped from Intermodal suitChairman Roy Reaves told the River Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority during its regular meeting Tuesday that on Aug. 28, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was removed from a lawsuit which also named the Intermodal group, the Federal Highway Administration and the Arkansas Highway Administration. The lawsuit was filed by the Yell County Wildlife Federation and the city of Dardanelle in an effort to squash the Intermodal's proposed 8...

Annual Brass in the Clouds SaturdayMusicians from Arkansas Tech University will provide an evening of entertainment at one of the Arkansas River Valley’s most beautiful points of interest on Saturday, Sept. 27. The 10th annual Brass in the Clouds concert, co-sponsored by Mount Nebo State Park and the Arkansas Tech Department of Music, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Mount Nebo’s Sunset Point. The public is invited to attend. Groups scheduled to perform at Brass in the Clouds 2014 in...

Airport fuel sales on steady climbRussellville Municipal Airport Manager Bobby Day told commissioners during their regular meeting Wednesday that fuel sales continued to increase for the period during August 2013 to last month. Total monthly fuel sales were 7,636 gallons in August 2014, an increase of 1,405 gallons from one year ago (6,231). Sales for jet fuel were three gallons fewer last month than the year before, but aviation gas was up 3,203 gallons in August 2014 over 1,...

News Briefs (Sept. 26, 2014)Election Commission meeting today Pope County Election Commissioners will meet at 2 p.m. today in the office of the Pope County Clerk to certify the 2014 annual school board election. Mount Nebo Chicken Fry Saturday The 67th annual Mount Nebo Chicken Fry is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in downtown Dardanelle. Events during the day include a tractor and lawn mower parade at 10 a.m., a chicken race at 11:30 a.m., kids activities, a batt...

Manna House encourages donationsWith 4,342 households and 13,842 individuals served so far in 2014, the Manna House continues to search for community support in its mission to serve the community. Associate Pastor Gail Brooks said the Manna House, which is an outreach of the First United Methodist Church, has seen an increase in clients over the past few months. "We have seen an influx of clients," Brooks said. "We accept donations for food costs, which are escalating all th...

Roof repairs force Sequoyah closureRoof repairs have given Sequoyah Elementary students a long weekend. The Russellville School District (RSD) released a statement Thursday that said because of an odor produced by elementary school roof repairs, the school closed early at 10 a.m. and would not be open on Friday. The school will reopen on Monday, and no absences will be recorded for the two days missed. Superintendent Randall Williams said days missed will not be made up by the ...

Shadow Day at Subiaco AcademySubiaco Academy, a Catholic, college preparatory boarding and day school for young men located in western Arkansas, is hosting a Shadow Day for prospective students and their parents on Oct. 10. The event is open for boys in grades 6-10 to attend and explore the Academy’s junior and senior high program. Prospective boarders and early arrivals can spend Thursday night before the Shadow Day in a residence hall. Parents’ accommodations are provid...

Local nonprofits connect with ATU studentsMore than 325 Arkansas Tech University students learned about volunteer opportunities in the Arkansas River Valley during a community service fair sponsored by the ATU Student Activities Board on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Nineteen area organizations greeted ATU students and informed them about ways they can become involved in their community during the two-hour event on the Hindsman Tower lawn. “I think it’s important for students to be able to know ...

Bond hearingsEditor's note: Pursuant to Arkansas state law, The Courier is prohibited from publishing the name of a juvenile unless he or she is formally charged with a felony. The juvenile who appeared during felony bond hearings had not been formally charged as of Wednesday afternoon. The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are li...

Pope County unemployment rate drops 1 percentEditor's note: All of the 2014 figures in this report are preliminary, and all of the 2013 figures are final. The data is not seasonally adjusted. The unemployment rate for Pope County improved from 8.3 percent in July 2013 to 7.3 percent this July, according to preliminary numbers released by the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). In July — the most recent data available — 2,150 people out of a labor force of 29,375 were without jobs, wh...

Pottsville to purchase pickupPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a truck for the street department during its regular meeting Monday. "Right now, we have five guys and three trucks," Public Works Director Jason Howard told the council. Mayor Jerry Williams said a 2012 Ford F-350 Super Duty four-wheel-drive truck with no bed was available for $23,500 and recommended the money be taken from the general fund. "As you can see, it has ...

News Briefs (Sept. 25, 2014)Plainview Frontier Day Plainview Frontier Day will be held on Saturday. A parade will begin at 10 a.m., with a best western dress contest to follow along with booths, bingo, silent auction, train rides, hay rides, a pumpkin patch, kids activities and entertainment. For more information, call Pat Bailey at (479) 272-4766 or Plainview City Hall at (479) 272-4320. National Public Lands Day Event The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close Bona De...

Men encouraged to take part in Prostate Cancer Awareness MonthSaint Mary's Regional Health System officials are encouraging men to be proactive about their prostates during September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Brenda Harrison, director of community relations and marketing, said Saint Mary's offers a prostate screening every few years, but men are encouraged to be screened annually after the age of 40. "Encourage your father or your brother to get screened," Harrison said. "They can make an appointm...

Former Pirate honoredA Pope County native was honored during a ceremony Friday for winning the 2014 Teacher of the Year for the Walnut Valley Unified district in California. Sherry Robertson, who graduated from Dover High School in 1993 and Arkansas Tech University in 1997, was first awarded Teacher of the Year at Chaparral Middle School where she teaches sixth-grade humanities and eighth-grade language arts by her fellow teachers and then a panel chose her as the...

Board hears from EAST studentsDOVER — Students from the Dover High School Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) lab classes reported to the Dover Board of Education on their Hike Through Habitats and Outdoor Classroom programs and other projects for the 2014-15 year during the board’s September meeting. EAST students Shelby Hartzell and Jordan Jorgensen presented a slideshow of the “Hiking Through Habitats” nature study project. Students have completed 40 hours of cl...

News Briefs (Sept. 24, 2014)Accuracy test today The Pope County Election Commission will conduct logic and accuracy testing on all equipment to be used in the runoff election for the Dover School Board at 2 p.m. today. Hospice yard sale The hospice yard sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the old National Home Center warehouse, located at 1509 E. Main St. in Russellville. For more information, call (479) 264-5461. Bingo canceled Community...